I hate the term "must-win games" because they should all be must-win games, but I get it.  Sometimes a particular game can be bigger than another.  Like game 4 of a 2-1 best of seven series.  Or like when you're the Dallas Mavericks and you've just traded your franchise for an aging savior in Jason Kidd, lost every meaningful game you've played, had coach Avery Johnson called the carpet by every analyst in the nation, and now you're on the road to play the Utah Jazz.  Must win doesn't even begin to describe what is going on in Dallas but it's pretty clear what the climate will be both record-wise, public relations-wise, and confidence-wise if they don't win this game.

This is a must-win game for Dallas.

And at the end of one quarter the score was 37-24 Utah with the Jazz up by as many as 20+ points within 6 minutes.  The second quarter has seen the Mavericks keep pace (we'll update the score at the conclusion).

One thing is clear though watching this game, and I would like to direct this at all of the idiot talking heads who predicted Dallas early on in the year, who really need to actually watch the games and not rely on cliff notes from NBA.com.  The D in Dallas stands for Done.

Breaking down game film is the only way you can gain an edge as an analyst.  And even with Devin Harris we simply couldn't see who was going to get penetration and exploit matchups against the elite teams.  Sure, Dirk's numbers are consistent from last year (and see how far that got them against the superior in nearly every respect Golden State Warriors...yes...it was not a fluke....I actually had them favored and won a significant sum of money in that respect).  Dirk shoots the ball alot and makes a lot of difficult shots.  But he doesn't make anybody around him better.  Defenders don't double on Dirk because he's going to get what coaches like to prep players to give, that is a 20 foot jumpshot with a hand in the face nearly blocking the ball.  Dirk makes a good amount of those, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it was a good possession.  Devin Harris was the only player that teams needed to be overly concerned with, and now he's gone.

Enter Jason Kidd, and we'll say it first, a significant reason that the Nets could not go to the next level.  Against the point guards in the East we couldn't see how he's slowed over the years.  Tonight, against Deron Williams, he can't do anything.  Repeat, he can't even start the offense.  He wants to go right, Deron Williams is in his way.  He wants to go left, Deron Williams is in his way.  Kidd can't go through him like he does to other smaller guards.  He can't shoot over him.  He's a non-factor. 

Do you think he's going to do anything better against Chris Paul?  Kobe...please.  I could go down the list of quicker, stronger players but the only one I think he'll be effective against will be Steve Nash, who may just join Dirk on the fishing boat with Kenny and Chuck if they're not careful. 

If you want to blame anybody for this disaster I would point the finger straight at Mark Cuban for giving Avery Johnson too much rope for an unproven NBA coach.  Avery's dominance in the NBA locker room seems like the high-school class president yelling at everybody to fall in line in a coaching landscape with guys like Phil Jackson, Byron Scott, Don Nelson, Mike D'Antoni, Jerry Sloan, and Doc Rivers calmly making the calls (well except for D'Antoni).  They've refused to utilize Dirk as a number 2 option, where he thrived when Steve Nash ran the show.  Running the show through Dirk has created a stand-still offense (with the lowest assist numbers in the league).  They can beat up on the lessor teams but can't create matchup problems with the elite ones. 

Losing a playmaker in Harris just took one of those guys off the court and Jason Kidd cannot thrive in a stand-still offense.  They need to throw out the playbook and let Jason run up and down the floor.  They have the athletes to do it and the shooters to make a go of it.  In a half-court set they need to get the ball to Josh Howard perhaps using the pick and roll with Kidd.  Dirk needs to be a spot up shooter, period.  Dampier needs to get off the court.  Brandon Bass is able to play the 4 and in a small lineup, the 5.  In fact, Brandon Bass might be their best playmaker in the half-court with his low-post strength and decent touch. 

If they run they have a chance, if they stand they do not.  But you can tell that they haven't been told specifically to run.  They've been told to take it if it's there, but this team needs to run.  But Avery wants his team to be a defensive, grind-it-out team and his lack of hubris will be the reason he can't find a job anywhere but on San Antonio's bench next year alongside Pop. 

***UPDATE****

The half-time score is 50-64, Utah.

***UPDATE****

Halfway into the 3rd quarter Utah seems content to let Dallas back into this game having dropped to a 10 point lead.  Dallas' first possesion showed them trying to enter the ball into Dirk in the high-post, and Utah running the other way with the steal.  Dallas has gone to Howard in the half-court set and has scored when they run, so I think they'll come around on my suggestion, the question is when (and when will the analysts figure it out too....you heard it here first).

Utah has a lot of firepower.  Okur just took Dampier to the rack.  That's there all night if they want.

Dirk, high-post.  Kick back out for no offensive gain.  When will they learn.

Somebody took a piss in Dallas' wheaties and they've responded.  They're getting steals and transition opportunities.  They have the lead down to 6 (make that 4....75-79).  I think Utah is having a lot to do with this by not scoring on the offensive end.  Their cuts away from the ball are lacking the right angles and execution.  They seem to be standing around a lot, and getting bailed out at the end of possessions.  But by not scoring they've given Dallas confidence when they were previously about to get sent away embarrassed.  The momentum has certainly swung to Dallas.

I was just thinking that if Dallas wins I might have to change the name of this blog to Dallas WAS Done, or Dallas is sort of done, or Dallas does Debbie or some variation.

Dirk is still getting booed for his cheap shot to AK-47 in the first quarter (Dirk left his feet and instead of just landing on AK he had to pull him down by the neck).

Dampier gets the rebound has 3 outlets for a 4 on 2 break and decides it would be wiser to pivot in a circle 3 times and hand it to Kidd, who then wisely starts a (late) transition break.

Deron Williams can get any shot he wants against the supposedly strong defense of Jason Kidd.  Any shot he wants.

Dirk has to turn his back to keep the ball away from defenders, it's a good thing he can probably play a pretty mean game of horse.

Boozer could play tight end for any NFL team that he wanted to.  Check that guy for steroids.

Dirk just tried to take Milsap off the dribble and got embarrassed (and of course complained that it was a foul).  He is the only guy in the league allowed to take that bad of a shot.  And Dirk kind of looks like a poor man's Tom Chambers.

Kidd just threw the ball into the stands.  I'm going to guess that it wasn't his fault.  Either way, I'm bracing for the Dallas choke with 9 minutes left, 85-89 Utah.

As I write this Kidd hits a 3 (his first bucket).  We've got a game.

Brandon Bass just skied for a rebound over Boozer and Milsap, impressive.

Howard in the half-court was unable to convert against Boozer.

Novitski hits the 18 foot jumper coming off a screen and takes a 1 point lead after being 21 down.  Must win must apparently mean something to them.

Dampier in for Bass, hmmm.....

Utah's Harpring went for an alley-oop to Okur and threw it out of bounds.  That's what happens when you go for the all-white alley oop.

The Jazz have moved to a half-court offense and Boozer misses the jumpshot.  Kidd the other way out of control and misses.  Utah decides to run and throws it out of bounds.  Jason Kidd comes back and hits another 3 (DAL up by 3).

Williams breaks Kidd down and feeds Boozer inside.  Nowitzki loses the ball after a questionable pass to him in the post.  Dampier fouls Boozer down low and he shoots 2 (makes the first, makes the second, UTAH by 1)

Dallas gives to Howard in the post, he settles for a fadeaway, misses.  Utah decides to go half-court, feeds it to Okur who draws the foul against Kidd, makes the first, makes the second, UTAH by 3, 5 minutes left).

Terry drives to the hoop but can't finish, Korver the other way with a 3 point shot, the MO has shifted back to Utah (UP BY 6).  Deron Williams gets his 20th assist...amazing.

Dirk in the high-post has it stipped, this is embarrassing for him.  Kidd needs to work the screen and roll with Howard or Bass.  Deron Williams gets into the lane with a foul on Dirk (makes the first, makes the second, UTAH by 8).

Dirk in the high post, turns it over on the drive, Utah the other way, Kidd fouls Harpring who should have made the and-one (makes the first, Avery looks shocked, makes the second, UTAH by 10).

Kidd to Terry, holds the ball, fallaway jumper (ill-advised) blocked, Utah the other way, Okur misses the coffin-nailing 3, Boozer outrebounds Dampier without position, ball goes to Harpring, fouled, Harpring makes the first, Dallas timeout, Novitzki technical foul, Korver makes the T, Harpring makes the second, UTAH by 13.

Terry misses the 3 but Boozer bails them out with a foul against Nowitzki.  Kidd enters to Dirk who almost turns it over 5 times, misses, gets his own miss, misses, gets his own miss and makes the and-one, makes the foul shot, talk about dedication.  It's getting chippy out there.

Utah turns it over on a foul by Boozer.  Utah looks pissed off.

Kidd misses a wide open 3, rebound to Devean George, misses, Utah misses on the other side and runs it up in transition to a wide open Kidd who buries the 3 (UTA by 7, 1:30 to go).

Okur hits a questionable and-one continuation call against Dirk in a horrible reach in (try moving your feet buddy).  Okur makes the throw (UTA by 10).

Dirk comes down on the other end and buries the 3.  Full court pressure (almost worked) by Dallas leads to a Boozer bucket and Kidd comes back with the and-one on the other end.  Kidd makes the throw (UTA by 6)

Utah breaks the pressure, taking time off the clock, Williams almost makes a spectacular spinning drive and Boozer fouls on the rebound, he's out of the game now, Devean George on the line now in crunch time, misses the first (choker), makes the second, UTA by 5.

Terry pushes Korver for no reason on the back-court pressure (good idea idiot), he goes to the line, makes the first, makes the second, UTA by 7.

Deron Williams fouls Kidd (trip).  Kidd to the line.  Kidd makes the first, makes the second (UTA by 5).  Korver on the other side holds while Howard eventually fouls.  Makes the first, 23 seconds left, rattles in the second, UTA by 7, Dallas timeout, I wonder if Avery asks Dirk to draw up the play.

Kidd comes out and nails the 3 (UTA by 4.  Hey Avery, you sure you feel good about leaving him off the court the other night?  Korver fouled the other way.  Makes the first.  Makes the second.  Dallas misses the other way and the game is done.

The bottom line with this game is if Dallas and Avery don't know that Dirk isn't the guy, this should be it.  They needed this game and they couldn't come through.  If they play their cards right, run the ball, and let their trade actually work for them they might have a shot at making the playoffs.  If not, Denver, Golden State, and possibly Portland might all make it in with Dallas and Phoenix, pundit favorites, sitting the sidelines.

        

Leave it to the leap year to provide a head-scratching night of NBA action.  Here's a quick rundown of how each game went down and all of the important stuff.

Indiana 122 @ Toronto 111:

After a handful of disappointing games (and disappointing calls against the Pacers) they came back with a vengence in Toronto where teams have not had much success.  Playing short-handed without Granger, Tinsley, and O'Neal Indiana took advantage of the injury to Bosh.  Those who have been observing Indiana (all 3 of us) have seen that they have offensive talent.  Warriors fans would even be quick to point out Mike Dunleavy's prominence the past few games, and now they have a win to show for it.  If Bosh is out for extended time put a fork in Toronto when they lose home-court advantage.

Charlotte 100 @ Boston 108:

This one was as close to a fill-in-the-blanks victory as you can get.  Playing without Gerald Wallace and already being a laughingstock of the league it didn't take a rocket scientist to pick the Celtics.  Not alot to see here but the impending acquisition of Sam Cassell's effect on Rajon Rondo.  Rondo has done a great job this year and in many ways has been a catalyst for this team on both ends of the floor.  Watch out for a Phoenix-type over-thinking move to acquire E.T. that might adversely affect team chemistry.

New York 93 @ Atlanta 99

The Mike Bibby acquisition is apparently paying off for Atlanta, and they could make some noise in the East with their young talent.  Ultimately, they will not win because half of their team still hasn't played more than a year or two.  However, they're doing what young teams do.  That is, play up and down basketball and compete night in and night out.  Bibby is showing why Sacramento was a dominant team this decade even if he has lost a step or two.  Tonight there were 24 lead changes and it was an ugly game.  Notice, however, that Atlanta was able to pick up a win in this ugly game, a sign that this team is ready to win.

Minnesota 84 @ Cleveland 92

Tomorrow night will be the big night for Cleveland as they face Chicago in a battle of swapped teammates.  However, tonight the Cavs showed why Danny Ferry made a good call in bringing in the litanny of players that he did.  Minnesota played well throughout the game and kept it close but Delonte West and Joe Smith started to show the chemistry that ought to be making the Celtics and Pistons uncomfortable.  The fact that they have Smith, Z, Wallace, and Sideshow Bob on the inside is great news for Lebron, who is playing through an ankle injury ala Kobe Bryant to help the team gel.  When Boobie comes back it will be interesting to see if King James will be the X factor that upsets one of the favorites.

Utah 98 @ New Orleans 110

This game was won in the first quarter and half as the Hornets went on a 23-0 run that the Jazz could never come back from.  Chris Paul and Deron Williams played magnificently although CP3 had the upper hand in this tilt.  With the Hornets winning all these games they could challenge the Lakers for the #1 seed which brings up an interesting point.  If they do get the #1 seed they would face incredible pressure from whomever the #8 seed is.  A young team like the Hornets would be hard pressed to handle that type of pressure, even if they are at home.

        

After looking like the walking-dead and going down by 15 in the first quarter the Utah Jazz showed why they have the league's best home record.  This game had the feel of a playoff game going down the stretch as Utah prevailed 103-95. 

The most interesting thing about this game was the way team's deployed their offenses.  While Utah feels like they can play both half-court and full-court basketball they chose to walk the ball up initially.  You had to guess that Utah wanted to play under control against the veteran Detroit squad.  The result was Deron Williams having one of the worst quarters I've seen him play in a while.  He couldn't penetrate and constantly put the Jazz in bad positions with the ball. 

On the other side of the ball Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton couldn't be stopped.  They pushed tempo when they could and it looked like a route.

In the second half the Utah Jazz clamped down on defense allowing only 18 points in the 3rd quarter. 

Then both teams started to resemble themselves.  Utah picked up their transition game finding Boozer in the high-post, Brewer on the baselines, and Mehmet Okur on the 3 point wing.  Detroit entered the ball into the post to Rasheed Wallace 5 consecutive times who refused to be double-teamed.  Ultimately it was Okur's 3 point shots that put the game away.

Chalk one up for Utah who needed this win after a disappointing road trip and chalk one up for the NBA with its parity.

        

After another loss to a contender (and being swept for the season series against the Hornets) the Phoenix faithful have to be holding their heads in dismay.   On the other side of the desert Kobe Bryant fans everywhere have to be enthralled by the recent performance of Steve Nash since the acquisition of Shaq (and more importantly the loss of The Matrix).  Why?  Because for all of his greatness Kobe Bryant has never won an MVP award.  Personally, it makes me sick to think that MVP voters are so dumb as to ignore how important Kobe has been to his team, carrying it literally on his back ever since Shaq left.  Instead, voters chose to reward Steve Nash, the closest thing to John Stockton we'll ever see, for leading Phoenix to strong regular season showings and orchestrating the high-flying Suns attack.

Note the words "high-flying".  Now that Shawn Marion was discarded to Miami there seems to be less flying in Phoenix and more....well....whatever you call point-blank airballs from Shaquille O'Neal.  In tonight's statement game against the Hornets Steve Nash looked overmatched on both ends of the court.  He finished with 8 points and his usual 13 assists.  Now we're not going to be so bold as to say Steve Nash isn't a great player, even a Hall of Fame player.  But when you have the likes of Marion, Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, Barbosa, and a litanny of athletic shooters spreading the floor it's a bit easier to run stats up like a pinball game. 

The question we always asked when comparing Kobe to players like Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki was a) which one would you pick first to be on your team and b) which one if missing would have the biggest impact on their team and c) what net effect did their teammates have on their performance.  In regards to "C", was their performance unusually enhanced by the strength of those teammates? 

Now that Steve Nash got rid of their most complete player it seems like the luster has been knocked off the mantle.  Most notably on defense he can't stop anyone.  If Woody Harrelson and Will Ferrell joined the NBA he might have a hard time keeping them in front of him.  Chris Paul torched him for 25 points and 15 assists tonight.  Against the lowly Grizzlies Mike Conley went for 15 pts and 11 rbs and when Conley wasn't torching him Juan Carlos Navarro was going for 25 points.  How bout 14 & 11 for Chauncey Billups the game before.  And all of that comes at the expense of having to shade defenders towards him and use double-teams when he gets posted up.

So how about the offensive side of the ball?  Aside from tonight's debacle he's had 11 pts and 6 rbs versus Detroit against Chauncey and Rip and prior to that 18 pts and 5 assists against Rajon Rondo, a quicker player.

With Shaq a non-factor on offense and without Marion we might see Phoenix fishin' with Chuck, Kenny, and Ernie if they can't turn it around.  But if Steve Nash can't shake defenders or keep opposing players in front of him there's going to be a lot of talk about Nash's MVP's being tainted.

        

Tonight the stuggling Portland Trailblazers came out and made a statement to Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the league...for one half.

Portland carried a 51-44 lead going into halftime having accumulated a 14 point lead in the first quarter.  Forward LeMarcus Aldrige was having his way inside against Pau Gasol and Steve Blake orchestrated the offense aptly.  But a Laker charge at the end of the first half highlighted by a Rony Turiaf 3 point play carried over into the second half as the Laker defense picked up.

What did they do?  Not a whole lot if you ask this (for recreation only) analyst.  When looking at the Blazer offense it was clear that their identity sat on the bench resting his ankle.  Steve Blake was left mostly in charge of the offense and seemed to find his way around defenders whether via the dribble or by screen but didn't have anywhere to go with the ball.  Certainly the Laker defense had something to do with that but you couldn't help but notice that the entire Portland team seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, a clear sign that without Roy they are going to struggle.

This seems to be the time that Jarrett Jack could make his name but Nate McMillan doesn't seem to comfortable giving him the reigns.  We're not sure that Jack carries the respect of the players and the coaching staff but it feels like he should be given the chance.  He's a good compliment to the game Blake plays and has more one-on-one capabilities than Martell Webster, who has been given the nod of approval.

Any way you slice it the Blazers are a young team that is going to go through their highs and lows.  If they don't find a solution at point guard soon they are going to find themselves too far out of the chase to come back.

        

The Golden State Warriors are known for their ability to push tempo and outrun their opponents.  Their undoing will be their inability to play defense on a night-in night-out basis.

Aside from not getting back on defense one of their main liabilities will be Monte Ellis.  He just got shook by Kevin Durant at the perimeter and while the rook is better than most Monte has to be able to keep a taller player in front of him.

We thought that Golden State would have trouble with Wilcox, Collison, and Durant inside as they normally have trouble with quicker, physical big men.  This underscores how important Andres Beidrins is to their interior defense (Beidrins is sidelined indefinitely after having his appendix removed). 

Utah dismantled the Warriors because of players like Boozer, Harpring, AK-47, and Paul Milsap.  And like every Western Conference team with their specific matchup deficiencies, this will be their achilles heal.  If they don't address it they will be either watching the Chuck and Kenny early, or be bounced in the first round.

        

I don't know who coaches the Grizzlies and I will not do them the justice of looking their name up.

Mike Conley Jr. is an excellent player who by all rights should be in his sophomore year in college.  HOWEVER, he stands 6 feet tall with extra foam in his shoes and is, and always will be, a defensive liability. 

Enter the Phoenix Suns, the masters of the high-pick and roll.  So this seems simple if you're Memphis and have a small guard in Conley who by all means should be able to keep Steve Nash in front of him as good as anyone.  Certainly you wouldn't want to switch those screens and leave Conley defending guys like Grant Hill and Boris Diaw on the post.  If you did that you'd be forced to double-team leaving Phoenix's 3 point shooting arsenal ready to pick your teeth clean. 

Of course you'd fight through those screens because in theory that would be playing to Conley's only strength as a defender, on-ball defense.

The friggin idiot had Conley switch 6 consecutive times when even the home-town announcers were berating his idiocy.  6 switches, 6 double-teams, 6 baskets.

Idiot.

        

We wrote a few weeks back about the blockbuster trades that happened and now that we've seen a couple games under our belt PBS weighs in on the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly.

THE SHAQUILLE O'NEAL MISTAKE

Alright, we can say it now.  The Shaq trade will go down in Suns history as the straw that broke Steve Nash's back.  After a luke-warm but inspired performance in Shaq's first game, the Suns are struggling to find rhythm without Shawn Marion and the new poor-man's Dwight Howard clogging up the middle.  It seems elementary now that you can see it in action, but the threat of Phoenix's offense was that after spreading the court each player could penetrate and dish.  Now, you have at most 3 players (whoever is playing alongside the combo of Shaq, Amare, and Diaw) that can do this.  Teams can now key in on stopping that penetration.  In addition, finding something that Shaq can do well offensively is slowing Phoenix down as he regularly screws up high-screen plays and holds onto the ball too long.  Against Detroit they had their worst loss in over 20 years and got booed for the first time in recent memory.  Shaq shot 1-8 from the floor and 3-8 from the line and had 3 turnovers.  He got 11 rebounds in the loss which gives you a pretty accurate snapshot of what to expect from the big fella: rebounds, turnovers, and poor shooting.  The only beneficiary of this trade is Amare Stoudamire who now has free reign to dominate other 4's in the league.  Shawn Marion's agent is laughing at the ammo he will have in future negotiations as the now-clearly-seen catalyst to this offense.

Overall Grade: D+

Future Projection: Nash and D'Antoni figure out a way to make Shaq an Eric Dampier type player without disrupting the offense.  They need to keep him on the low, weak-side block and run high-pick and rolls to the strong side.  His points need to come off of offensive rebounds and dunks.  He should get 0 intentional touches per game, period.

THE JASON KIDD HAIL MARY

We've been pretty critical of Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki, and the Jason Kidd trade.  We didn't go so far as to say it wouldn't make them better, but we stopped short of saying that it would make them a contender.  As Dallas' home record and the media would have you think they are, we just think they are simply outclassed by a number of teams in the West, let alone Boston, Detroit, and possibly Cleveland in the East.  Obviously by that statement we aren't projecting a lot for Dallas, but Jason Kidd gives them the toughness and rhythm to actually play to their potential, rather than puckering up when it counts.  And it only took 3 games for Jason Kidd to gel with his teammates.  They now have somebody who can calm them down during the tough spots, aside from somebody who gives teammates rhythm jumpshots, rebounds, and steals the ball.  Because of this I can give them positive marks for competing to win the West, but I still believe that they don't have enough firepower to win it.

Overall Grade: C-

Future Projection: Kidd makes them a tougher team in the playoffs.  Depending on the matchups (the whole West bracket depends on the matchups), they can hang with anyone but will lose to the Spurs, the Lakers, the Celtics, Detroit, for sure.  All of the other contenders will be a toss-up.  Kidd simply keeps the Mavericks from pooping in their pants.  We wouldn't have traded the future of the franchise in this competitive landscape.

LEBRON GETS HIS WISH

The pundits criticized this trade because it didn't have enough star-power to write or talk about, period.  What the pundits can't say is that the additions of Joe Smith, Ben Wallace, Wally World, and Delonte West IN ADDITION TO the departures of garbage players like "the bearded woman" Drew Gooden and Larry "I used to be good" Hughes is EXACTLY WHAT LEBRON NEEDED.  While everyone in the media and in Cleveland clamored for a big-man or top-shelf point guard all that Lebron needed was shooting help.  Watching a Cleveland game was like both being the wallpaper and watching it dry and screaming to no end that the team should be named the bricklayers.  Simply put, if 2 of the players on the court can't score it's going to be tough no matter what.  If three, four, or even 5 of them can't make a jumpshot (see Lebron in the finals) then you're done.  Now LeBron has two quick and feisty players in Boobie (haha...I said it) and Delonte West, and legit offensive players in Wally and Joe Smith.  Add to the mix a player in Ben Wallace who is both hungry to prove he's not a bust and a perfect compliment to the sneaky Serb Ill...zyg...ouskis (?), and you have a suddenly strong 3 person big-man rotation.  With Pavlovic also being serviceable offensively and Sideshow Bob Anderson Varejao (AKA Floppy Donkey) still on the bench we're not even close to seeing the impact of this trade.

Overall Grade: A-

Future Projection: With Lebron's dominance I believe that Cleveland is certainly in contention for not just the East but also the NBA title.  They might be the proverbial 1 player away from dominance.  I think you're going to see a lot of blowout games and a bunch of key wins between now and the end of the NBA season.  Then you'll see a bunch of bandwagoners come out of the woods and I'll be there with the lantern to show them the way.

PAU GASOL AND KOBE = SCOTTIE AND MICHAEL

Why is everyone so afraid to say that Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan.  Is it the whinyness?  Is it the Colorado thing?  Is it because of Shaq?  The answer is all of the above.  I've been a Kobe hater for my whole life until about 2 years ago when I noticed that he had everything that Michael Jordan has, with additional baggage, and without the help.  He still has the baggage but now he has the help.

That help comes in the form of one scruffy looking Spaniard with a post-game that may just be the best in the NBA.  Now I know that this might seem like an overstatement but this guy has all the moves.  The hook, the short-range jumpshot, the up and under, both hands, the quicks, the dribbles, and the foul-shooting.  With Kobe he could need just a few of those things and Los Angeles and the rest of the NBA would call them contenders.  But he has all of them, and alongside the return of Andrew Bynum as well as the emergence of their bench, Los Angeles (in my humble opinion) is the team to beat this year.  You simply cannot defend the inside-outside game that LA has now and all of the pieces of the puzzle are there for victory.  You have Derek Fisher shooting outside 3's and providing defense and leadership.  You have Lamar Odom playing third-fiddle and enjoying every minute of it, outrebounding other team's 3's and providing the best 3rd option in the league.  You have role players like Luke Walton, Radmonovich, Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Povlovich, Trevor Ariza, and Jordan Farmar beating the other team's #1's and are more than serviceable off the bench.  You have Phil Jackson and his 9 championships.  And then you have the unstoppable Kobe Bryant.  And the Lakers didn't have to trade anything to get the final piece.  Brilliant.

Put it in the books.  I feel like it's done.

Overall Grade: A+ (is there any grade higher)

Future Projection:  Teams start to play gimmick defenses like "box and 1" to put a man on Kobe and also shade the defense to Gasol.  They do everything they can to make those 2 guys "not shoot".  Basically everybody's screwed.  If you're a betting man ride the Lakers to the end and bet the over, the Lakers will cover both side of the equation.

CHICAGO BULLS INVOLVED IN 11 PLAYER TRADE: NOBODY CARES

This just in....the Bulls still suck and Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, some guy named Newble, and whoever the else got traded don't change the Bulls at all.  It's still just Heinrich and Gordon fighting for relevancy with Nocioni and Sheffolosawhatever doing that Euro player thing with Tyrus Thomas and Noah looking like they just learned to walk. 

Overall Grade: Don't care.

Future Projection: This team is going nowhere until they determine what they're going to do with Ben Gordon.  He has starting talent but needs to play in a system that has plenty of ballhandlers (point guard and otherwise) so he is free to take spot up shots and get dished the ball on kickouts.  Him with the ball dribbling is a recipe for disaster.  And with his talent the Bulls feel obligated to let him create.  The problem is that when he is given reign to create he brings the offense to a standstill.  Whether he shoots a good clip doesn't matter, his overall effect is negative.  Until Chicago either moves him or changes his role they are going to struggle.  Trading away strong role players like Wallace and Joe Smith are not the answer, changing their offense is.

HOUSTON AND NEW ORLEANS GIVE EACH OTHER WHAT THEY NEED

Morris Peterson is struggling as of late to be consistent.  Houston needs a scoring threat to handle the ball so Tracy is free to find better spots on the court.  Yao needs to have somebody other than Tracy to enter the ball so the weakside swing pass can find its way to Tracy.  This can't be done if the player defending the player (Tracy) to enter the pass doesn't respect the offensive player.  Rafer Alston is simply not respected off the triple-threat or dribble.  Niether is anyone else.  Bobby Jackson gives Houston a player who isn't afraid to fire away and is still explosive getting to the rim.  The only question is whether or not Jackson's confidence is going to rub Houston's team the wrong way.  Jackson gives Houston another offensive weapon in complete compliment to its current lineup.

On the other side of the trade New Orleans gets a player in Bonzi Wells who can rebound and post up, but most importantly take some of the ball-handling pressure off of Chris Paul.  Now that teams are double-teaming Paul at the top of the action Bonzi can take some of the pressure off by being a low-post safety valve.  On a team that has incredible role players such as Chandler for defense and rebounding, West for its inside scoring, Peja and Peterson for 3 point shooting they still can get bogged down without another creator off the dribble.  Wells is that option, he just needs to fit in personally.

Overall Grade: B+

Future Projection: Both players take a good amount of time to assimilate into the offense.  However, come playoff time they will prove to be as good of an acquisition as Kidd for Dallas and Shaq for Phoenix, if not better. 

        

Ah....to be back.  I had to do my real job for the past couple of days so my fun job had to wait.  Although I wasn't writing I did get to watch the first few games of the second half.  Among many other trends I've seen emerge, the New Orleans Hornets are intriguing because of their place atop the Western Conference standings.

Simply put, they're struggling big time right now.  We all knew that what comes up must go down but you have to be concerned about a younger team with newfound success.  These types of swings come at a cost.  Namely, the team's psyche becomes more fragile.  Teams tend to tinker more when they lose and tinkering is probably the number one cause of missed field goals other than last night's late night conquest.

After beating Dallas to start the Texas Triangle they lost to Houston and then at San Antonio.  The victory against Dallas came in Jason Kidd's first game as he struggled to find rhthym with his new teammates. 

Then came tonight's matchup at home against the stuggling Wizards, the same Wizards that lost to a Cleveland team that dressed only 6 NBA starters (if you could call some of them that) and 2 D-league guys.  As 10 point favorites they lost to a DeShaun Stevenson game-winning 3 pointer at the buzzer.

The story though was how Washington chose to defend Chris Paul.  They consistently ran 2 defenders at him where he likes to setup the offense at the top of the key.  This led to 11 steals and 4 turnovers out of the usually sure-handed Paul.  But it also led to a choppy offensive flow and while New Orleans shot a good percentage from both the floor and from 3 (46% and 41% respectively), they couldn't stop the surging Wizards in the second half.  Add to that critical misses from the free throw line (11-21 tonight) and they beat themselves. 

Teams are going to take notice of New Orleans inability to run their offense through anybody else other than CP3.  The Bonzi Wells acquisition may be the perfect remedy for this, but we have to see it before we believe it.  The trio of Peterson, Peja, and West simply can't handle the ball well enough.  For Peja it led to an uncharacteristic 4-16 shooting as he was put into a position to shoot off the dribble which is not his strength.

We like New Orleans to make some noise in the playoffs but they lack the experience and a second offensive captain to shoulder the load.  If Bonzi Wells can be that guy then they have just as good a shot as anyone else.

        

Since I'm not a part of the mainstream media I can say what I truly think.  Note where I've put the Suns and Mavericks.  Enjoy.

1. San Antonio Spurs: Until somebody knocks them off the hill I have to put them here, although my heart says that they should be somewhere between 2-4.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Their big lineup is the best in the league.  Their bench is playing as good as anyone's.  This ranking is based on both Kobe Bryant's greatness but also the Scottie Pippen factor in that Gasol, Odom, and the rest of the supporting cast simply allow Kobe to dominate as Michael did.  They are the favorites in my gut right now.
3. Boston Celtics: Their big 3, Rajon Rondo, defense, and bench along with being in the East bode well.
4. Detroit Pistons: They're flying under the radar but the addition of their young players alongside their experienced starting five make them the San Antonio Spurs of the East.  Until the newly created Celtics knock them off I'm not entirely convinced that Boston can win.
5. New Orleans Hornets: Point guard play and athleticism put them this high, they lack experience though.  They keep winning games that they're not supposed to win, at home and away from home.  I feel like this is the team that the media can't catch up with.  Bravo to Chris Paul.
6. Utah Jazz: Their only weakness is not having a truly dominant big man.  However, Carlos Boozer and Deron Wiliams are as good as any 1-2 punch.  Ronnie Brewer and Milsap are the difference makers as they don't have any weak spots on the court.  They play well at home, play defense, shoot well, and the aforementioned 1-2 punch is nearly unstoppable.
7. Golden State Warriors: Baron Davis' point guard play and their depth offensively make them able to beat any team in the league.  They have trouble with quick "bigs" and their defense is suspect but don't count them out of any game. 
8. Denver Nuggets: The rumor is that they'll get Ron Artest.  If they do bump them up ahead of the Hornets.  Even if they don't they have had over a year to gel with Iverson and Melo is unstoppable.  If they get Nene back it will be a huge boost.  People don't recognize how much Camby dominates.  Their bench is a bit suspect but their superstar power can knock anyone off in the playoffs.
9. Houston Rockets: They've won 10 in a row and the addition of Bobby Jackson might unleash their offense, while their defense is solid.  McGrady is not a leader and neither is Yao, which may just be their undoing.  Like the rest of the west they have a solid supporting cast.  Defensively they are as tough as nails.  They don't play well at home though.
10. Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron is playing at an MVP level and Boobie just might loosen the floor enough for them to repeat in the East.  The wildcard is LeBron in the playoffs and they've proven themselves.  While this list accomodates the fact that they've got a better shot making the finals playing in the East, I can't rank them ahead of obviously better teams.
11. Phoenix Suns: Let me be the first to say it's over in Phoenix as I can't see them beating any of the teams ahead of them with the exception of Cleveland, but Cleveland has an easier path in the East.  Nash's defense is too suspect, Shaq might help but it's not enough.  Everyone improved too much around them.  I'll take criticism for this, but it's honestly how I feel.
12. Dallas Mavericks: The same thing happened to them as did Phoenix, everyone else got exponentially better while they're banking on Dirk.  Jason Kidd will help but they won't have enough athleticism to keep up with the West.  Watch for them to potentially miss the playoffs.
13. Orlando Magic: A dark horse in the East but a couple of upsets could land them in the finals where anything can happen.  Dwight Howard is as good as anyone and Rashard, Hedo, Jameer, and little known Maurice Evans have game.
14. Portland Trailblazers: They've been cold of late but you can't deny the young talent on this roster.  If they make the playoffs nobody will want to play them.  When Greg Oden arrives next year beware.
15. Toronto Raptors:  They're quietly playing well and have gone into places like Boston and pulled out victories.  They play very well at home which is a recipe for success in the playoffs.